Here we are again! Back for another week of industry insights, brought straight to your inbox without all of the typical fluff.

This week, I spoke with Peter Sand, Chief Analyst at Xeneta, who shared his insights on the importance of freight visibility and how it has evolved over recent years. Peter’s 15 years of experience in maritime reveals how data transparency is transforming logistics decision-making, particularly as supply chains face unprecedented disruptions and volatility.

Xeneta’s freight intelligence platform compiles ocean and air shipping rates across global trade routes. This software enables logistical experts to examine current market conditions, compare carrier offerings, and assess historical rate patterns. With data spanning over 230,000 trade lanes, their platform is integral for organisations to evaluate their freight prices against market standards.

When every vendor claims their price is 'industry standard' but nobody seems to know what that standard actually is, it's like trying to negotiate in the dark. Between mysterious licensing fees, hidden implementation costs, and support packages that cost as much as the software itself - who really knows what's reasonable anymore?

The Thetius IT Cost Benchmarking Club is your reality check. We take your fleet's IT costs, anonymously benchmark them against your peers, and show you exactly where you stand. Plus, we measure system performance against industry standards, so you'll know if those premium rates are actually delivering premium results.

Turn your IT spending from an educated guess into a strategic advantage.

Check it out here

The freight data and benchmarking market has undergone a profound transformation in market transparency over the past decade. "Ten to fifteen years ago, all market insights were held by carriers. Global shippers, even large ones, had no visibility into the underlying market or rates beyond their own. It's a different world now with transparency in a historically opaque market." Peter insight highlighted how the balance of information has shifted dramatically in favour of logistics buyers.

This has resulted in shipping companies now having the opportunity to gain accurate visibility and insights on how their freight spending will compare to others and how it may change going forward.

Previously, insights would likely have been gained through analysis of previous spending habits, which can be notoriously unreliable: "Last year's spending is actually a poor strategy to estimate this year's rates in most cases due to market volatility. You could be off by hundreds of millions if you don't understand market dynamics."

Like every market sector in maritime, the evolution of AI is playing a major role in levelling up the technical capabilities of digital platforms; freight intelligence is no exception. Forward-thinking organisations like Xeneta have already integrated AI capabilities into their platforms to work with existing infrastructure.

However, Peter emphasised that AI automations and calculations can’t be relied upon as a single source of intelligence: "I still haven't seen a model that delivers good results without human input. You need verification and an understanding of market psychology, which can be difficult to measure digitally,” following up with “You can't fully rely on AI - you need to combine it [with human expertise] and find the best of both worlds."

One interesting point Peter discusses was the need for organisations to understand the motivations behind the suppliers of freight pricing software. These vendors may have a vested interest in rates moving in particular directions, which is then reflected in the pricing stats they publish. 

Peter emphasised the need for shipping companies to rigorously interrogate the data sources and quality of their providers to ensure internal motivations do not interfere with the integrity of data, in Xeneta’s case: "We don't have a stake in whether rates should be high or low, only in data quality."

Finally, Peter and I discussed his thoughts on shipping companies who haven't yet adopted freight benchmarking or don't believe it's necessary. He emphasises how they can’t effectively manage their logistics and supply chains as they lack the ability to verify and compare rates against broader market conditions. "Don't fly blindfolded… you might hit a wall" he cautioned, emphasising that logistics professionals should "start by understanding market intelligence and knowing your position before taking action."

Peter’s parting words of wisdom highlighted that freight market transparency enables organisations to navigate volatility with confidence rather than uncertainty. "If you can't assess scenarios for what may come next, you're scrambling in the dark.”

And with that, we'll log off on this week's maritime tech digest! Reconnect next Thursday when I'll bring you another upload of industry insights. Until then, may your analytics be accurate and your integrations seamless! Your tech correspondent, Ailsa